KR100266224B1 - Field emission device and the manufacturing method thereof and field emission display using it - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A field emission device, a method for manufacturing the same, and a field emission display using the same are provided to improve the electron emission efficiency by forming a structure formed with conductive/insulating/conductive/insulating/vacuum. CONSTITUTION: An electrode layer pattern(22a) and the first insulating layer pattern(24a) are laminated sequentially on one side of a lower substrate(20). A linear conductive material pattern(26) is formed at an end of one side of the first insulating layer pattern(24a). The second insulating layer pattern(28) is applied on an upper portion of the lower substrate(20) in order to cover the first insulating pattern(24a) and the linear conductive material pattern(26).

Description

Field emission element and method for fabricating that and fabricating that and apparatus of field emission display using that

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a field emission display device, and more particularly, to a field emission device capable of efficiently emitting electrons using an electronic breakdown phenomenon, and a manufacturing method thereof. In addition, the present invention relates to a field emission display device capable of displaying an image using the field emission element.

In recent years, field emission displays (hereinafter referred to as FEDs) are being actively researched for application to next-generation flat panel display devices due to advantages such as excellent display characteristics and manufacturing cost competitiveness. The FED displays an image using light generated by colliding electrons emitted from the field emission device with the phosphor. As a field emission element used for such an FED, that is, a field emission emitter, a tip-shaped emitter and an emitter using a flat diamond thin film or diamond-like carbon thin film are mainly used.

On the other hand, the field emission emitter using the breakdown current generated between the metal and the tip of the whisker-like conductor has been studied for a long time. In 1987, a large-area electron-emitting device using epoxy resin and conductive particles was manufactured by Basic and Latham.

However, the electron emission array has a low threshold voltage for electron emission and a high current density of 0.1 amperes per square centimeter (cm 2), whereas the high vapor pressure and thermal instability of epoxy resins make it practical display devices. There is a limit to the application. Accordingly, in recent years, electron-emitting devices using other insulators such as silicon oxide instead of epoxy resins have been studied. In addition, methods for properly arranging conductive particles have been studied.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a field emission device using an insulator matrix and conductor particles proposed by Latham et al. The field emission device shown in FIG. 1 includes a conductor layer 12 and a conductor layer coated on a lower substrate 10. Insulator matrix 14 formed on (12) and conductor particle 16 contained in insulator matrix 14 are provided.

The field emission device shown in FIG. 1 is referred to as a metal-insulator-metal-insulater-vacuum (MIMIV) field emission device because it is a structure of a conductor / insulator / conductor / insulator / vacuum. When a negative voltage is applied to the conductor layer 12 on the lower substrate 10, that is, the cathode, the electric field is strongly applied in the minute gap between the conductor layer 12 and the conductor particles 16 in the insulator matrix 14. Electrons are emitted from the conductor layer 12 into the conductor particles 16. The electrons emitted into the conductor particles 16 move to the portion close to the vacuum in the conductor particles 16 and are released into the vacuum through the sharp edge of the strong electric field. Hereinafter, referring to FIG. 2, the process of emitting electrons from the electron-emitting device will be described in detail.

2A through 2C are cross-sectional views illustrating a process of emitting electrons from the electron-emitting device illustrated in FIG. 1.

First, when a negative voltage is applied to the conductor layer 12 on the lower substrate 10, the electric field is separated between the conductor layer 12 and the conductor particles 16 included in the insulator matrix 14 as shown in FIG. 2A. The concentrated area will appear. As such, the electric field is concentrated between the conductor layer 12 and the conductor particles 16, so that an electron breakdown phenomenon from the conductor layer 12 to the conductor particles 16 occurs. As shown in FIG. 2B, the conductor layer ( A channel 18 is formed between 12) and the conductor particle 16 so that the electric field strength is zero. The electrons emitted from the conductor layer 12 toward the conductor particles 18 due to the electron breakdown phenomenon are discharged into the vacuum through the sharp edges of the strong electric field as the region close to the vacuum in the conductor particles 16. . In other words, as shown in Fig. 2C, electrons are emitted from the electron emission source consisting of the conductor particles 16, the insulator 14, and the vacuum. The electrons thus emitted impinge on the phosphor disposed on the upper surface to emit the phosphor, thereby implementing a display.

However, in order to manufacture the aforementioned field emission device, an insulator in which fine conductor particles are dispersed in a manufacturing process must be used. In this case, since it is impossible to uniformly distribute the conductor particles in the insulator, it becomes difficult to precisely control the electron emission site. In addition, it is difficult to control the distance between the conductor particle and the electrode in this field emission device, and there is a problem in that electron emission through the conductor particle is uneven because the size of the conductor particle is not uniform. Accordingly, it is difficult to apply the field emission device using the electronic breakdown phenomenon to the display device.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a field emission device capable of implementing a field emission display device using an electronic breakdown phenomenon and a method of manufacturing the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a field emission device having high electron emission efficiency and a method of manufacturing the same.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a field emission display device to which a field emission device using an electronic breakdown phenomenon is applied.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a field emission device and a method of manufacturing the same, which can simplify the manufacturing process and reduce the manufacturing cost and mass production.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional MIMIV field emission device.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a process in which electrons are emitted from the electron emission device illustrated in FIG. 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a step of manufacturing a field emission device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a phenomenon in which electrons are emitted from the field emission device illustrated in FIG. 3D.

5 is a cross-sectional view showing a field emission device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a cross-sectional view showing an FED to which the field emission device shown in FIG. 5 is applied.

<Description of the code | symbol about the principal part of drawing>

10, 20: lower substrate 12: conductor layer

14 Insulation Matrix 16 Conductor Particle

22a: electrode layer pattern 24a: first insulating layer pattern

26: linear conductor pattern 28: second insulating layer

30: vacuum 32: bent linear conductor pattern

24: third insulating layer 36: gate electrode

38: upper substrate 40: phosphor

In order to achieve the above objects, the field emission device according to the present invention extends from an electrode layer pattern formed on one side on the lower substrate, a first insulating layer pattern formed on the electrode layer pattern, and one side end of the first insulating layer pattern. And a second insulating layer formed to capture the linear conductor pattern, the other side portion on the lower substrate, the first insulating layer pattern, and the linear conductor pattern.

In addition, the method of manufacturing a field emission device according to the present invention comprises the steps of forming an electrode layer pattern, a first insulating layer pattern and a linear conductor pattern sequentially stacked on one side of the substrate, and the other side and the first insulating layer pattern on the substrate. And two steps of coating and patterning the second insulating layer to capture the linear conductor pattern, and three steps of sequentially etching a portion of the first insulating layer pattern and the electrode layer pattern through the second insulating layer pattern. It is done.

The field emission display device using the field emission device according to the present invention includes an emitter electrode formed on the lower substrate, a first insulating layer formed on the emitter electrode, a linear emitter extended from one end of the first insulating layer and A second insulating layer formed on the lower substrate to capture the first insulating layer and the linear emitter, a gate electrode disposed to face one side of the linear emitter, and a third insulating layer formed between the lower substrate and the gate electrode And an upper substrate spaced apart from the lower substrate so as to provide an internal space, an anode electrode disposed on the bottom surface of the upper substrate, and a phosphor formed to apply the anode electrode.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention other than the above objects will become apparent from the description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5.

3A to 3D are cross-sectional views illustrating a step in manufacturing a field emission device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3A, an electrode layer 22, an insulating layer 24, and a linear type conductor pattern 26 having a structure sequentially deposited on the lower substrate 20 are illustrated. The electrode layer 22 serves as an emitter electrode and is formed on the lower substrate 20 by a conventional deposition process, and the insulating layer 24 is formed on the electrode layer 22 in the same manner. The linear conductor pattern 26 is formed by forming a conductor layer on the insulating layer 24 and then patterning the same using an etching process such as a wet etching process or a reactive ion etching process. In addition, the linear conductor pattern 26 may be formed by a coating process using a linear mask. At this time, both ends of the linear conductor pattern 26 is preferably formed sharply so as to take a higher electric field in a range that does not affect the performance of the device.

Referring to FIG. 3B, an electrode layer pattern 22a and an insulating layer pattern 24a having one side etched between the lower substrate 20 and the linear conductor pattern 26 are illustrated. The insulating layer pattern 24a is formed by etching one side of the insulating layer 24 positioned below the linear conductor pattern 26 to the intermediate point of the linear conductor pattern 26 using the photosensitive resin film. The electrode layer pattern 22a under the insulating layer pattern 24a is also formed by etching one side of the electrode layer 22 in the same manner as described above.

Referring to FIG. 3C, the second insulating layer 28 formed on the lower substrate 20 on which the electrode layer pattern 22a, the insulating layer pattern 22b, and the linear conductor pattern 26 are sequentially stacked is illustrated. The second insulating layer 28 captures the linear conductor pattern 26 on the lower substrate 20 on which the electrode layer pattern 22a, the insulating layer pattern 22b, and the linear conductor pattern 26 are stacked by spin coating. To be applied. Here, an etching process for thinning a portion of the second insulating layer 28 corresponding to one end of the linear conductor pattern 26 to facilitate electron emission from one end of the linear conductor pattern 26 is further performed. It is available.

Referring to FIG. 3D, portions of the first insulating layer pattern 24a and the electrode layer pattern 22a formed on one side of the lower portion of the linear conductor pattern 26 are etched. This is to allow a strong electric field to be applied between the electrode layer pattern 22a and the linear conductor pattern 26. To this end, a portion of the second insulating layer 28 formed on the linear conductor pattern 26 is etched and patterned to form a second insulating layer pattern 28a as shown in FIG. 3D (A). The first insulating layer pattern 24a and the electrode layer pattern 22a formed on one side of the lower portion of the linear conductor pattern 26 are etched through the second insulating layer pattern 28a as illustrated in FIG. 3D. In addition, the etched portions of the upper and lower portions of the linear conductor pattern 26 may fill the insulating material.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the field emission device completed by the manufacturing process shown in FIG. 3, wherein the field emission device of FIG. 4 is sequentially stacked on one side of the lower substrate 20 in the electrode layer pattern 22a. And the first insulating layer pattern 24a, the linear conductor pattern 26 positioned at one end of the first insulating layer pattern 24a, and the first insulating layer pattern 24a on the lower substrate 20. A second insulating layer 28 applied to capture the linear conductor pattern 26 is provided. The upper portion of the second insulating layer 28 is in a vacuum 30 state.

In the field emission device of FIG. 4, when an arbitrary voltage is applied between the electrode layer pattern 22a corresponding to the emitter electrode and the gate electrode (not shown), one end of the electrode layer pattern 22a and the linear conductor pattern 26 are applied. A strong electric field is applied to the portion (b) of the first insulating layer pattern 24a between the one end portions so that an electron breakdown phenomenon occurs from the electrode layer pattern 22a to the linear conductor pattern 26. The electrons moved to the linear conductor pattern 26 by the electron breakdown phenomenon are vacuum (30) through the sharp other end portion of the linear conductor pattern 26 and the a portion of the second insulating layer 28 having high electric field strength. Will be released into). The electrons emitted into the vacuum 30 collide with the phosphor by a voltage applied to an electrode formed under the upper glass substrate (not shown), that is, an anode, thereby generating unique light from the phosphor. . The light is used to display desired image information on a plane.

5 is a cross-sectional view showing a field emission device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which the field emission device shown in FIG. 5 is a linear conductor having one side bent upwards as compared to the field emission device shown in FIG. 4. The pattern 32 is provided. The bent linear conductor pattern 32 can be formed by adjusting the stress of the conductor thin film when the conductor thin film on which the conductor pattern 26 is to be formed is formed in the field emission device manufacturing process shown in FIG. 3A. . Alternatively, the first insulating layer 24 and the electrode layer 22 are etched in the manufacturing process of the field emission device shown in FIG. 3B, and then stress is applied to the linear conductor pattern 26 by heat treatment, so that one side is bent upward. The linear conductor pattern 32 may be formed.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the FED to which the field emission device shown in FIG. 5 is applied, wherein the FED of FIG. 6 includes the field emission device of FIG. 5 formed on one side of the lower glass substrate 20, and the lower glass substrate 20. The insulating layer 34 and the gate electrode 36 stacked on the other side of the substrate), the upper glass substrate 38 positioned to face the lower glass substrate 20, and the bottom surface of the upper glass substrate 38. The phosphor 40 is configured.

In the FED of FIG. 6, when an arbitrary voltage is applied between the electrode layer pattern (ie, emitter electrode) 22a and the gate electrode 36, the electron brake is applied to the linear conductor pattern 26 bent from the electrode layer pattern 22a. Down phenomenon occurs. The electrons moved to the linear conductor pattern 32 by this electronic breakdown phenomenon are bent in the linear conductor pattern 26 through the end portion toward the upper side and the a portion of the second insulating layer 28 having the strong electric field. It is to be released into the vacuum (30). Electrons emitted into the vacuum 30 impinge on the phosphor 40 by a voltage applied to an electrode formed at the bottom of the upper glass substrate 38, that is, an anode (not shown), thereby intrinsic from the phosphor. Light is generated. The light is used to display desired image information on a plane.

As a result, the field emission device according to the present invention has not only high electron emission efficiency as a structure of conductor / insulator / conductor / insulator / vacuum but also can be uniformly formed by general thin film process, lithography process and etching process. It can be applied to the display device of the area.

As described above, according to the field emission device and the manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention, it is possible to manufacture a field emission device having a high current density even under low voltage as a structure of a conductor / insulator / conductor / insulator / vacuum in a uniform shape. have. In addition, the field emission device according to the present invention has a wider selection range of insulators and a wider selection of materials distributed inside the insulator than conventional field emission devices using micro-conductor particles, and thus can be used as field emission devices for displays. There is an advantage. In addition, according to the method of manufacturing the field emission device according to the present invention, the distance between the electrode layer and the linear conductor pattern can be controlled by adjusting the thickness of the first insulating layer, thereby enabling the electron emission characteristic to be more precisely controlled. Accordingly, it is possible to implement a display device using a field emission device having a structure of a conductor / insulator / conductor / insulator / vacuum. In addition, according to the method for manufacturing a field emission device according to the present invention, since a generalized process such as a thin film manufacturing process, a lithography process, and an etching process is used, the manufacturing process may be simplified, and manufacturing cost may be reduced.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the detailed description of the specification but should be defined by the claims.

Claims (19)

An electrode layer pattern formed on one side of the lower substrate; A first insulating layer pattern formed on the electrode layer pattern; A linear conductor pattern extending from one end of the first insulating layer pattern; And a second insulating layer formed to capture the other side portion of the lower substrate and the first insulating layer pattern and the linear conductor pattern. The method of claim 1, A field emission device, characterized in that the one side portion of the linear conductor pattern is bent upward. The method of claim 1, A field emission device, characterized in that both ends of the linear conductor pattern are sharp. The method of claim 1, When a predetermined voltage is applied to the electrode layer pattern, electrons are emitted from the electrode layer pattern to one side of the linear conductor pattern by the electron breakdown phenomenon, and the emitted electrons form the other end of the linear conductor pattern and the second insulating layer. A field emission device, characterized in that emitted through the outside. The method of claim 4, wherein The amount of electrons emitted from the electrode layer pattern is The field emission device, characterized in that for adjusting the thickness of the first insulating layer pattern. The method of claim 4, wherein The field emission device, characterized in that the thickness of the second insulating layer for applying the other end portion of the linear conductor pattern is relatively thin. Forming an electrode layer pattern, a first insulating layer pattern, and a linear conductor pattern sequentially stacked on one side of the substrate; Applying and patterning a second insulating layer to capture the other side portion of the substrate and the first insulating layer pattern and the linear conductor pattern; And sequentially etching a portion of the first insulating layer pattern and the electrode layer pattern through the second insulating layer pattern. The method of claim 7, wherein The first step is Sequentially stacking an electrode layer and a first insulating layer on the substrate; Forming a linear conductor pattern on a central portion of the first insulating layer; And etching the first insulating layer and the electrode layer on one side under the linear conductor pattern and patterning the same. The method of claim 8, Both ends of the linear conductor pattern is a field emission device manufacturing method, characterized in that formed by a sharp etching process. The method of claim 8, The method of manufacturing a field emission device, characterized in that to adjust the stress so that one side toward the upper side when forming the linear conductor pattern. The method of claim 7, wherein The second step is And etching the thickness of the second insulating layer applying one end of the linear conductor pattern to be relatively thin. The method of claim 7, wherein And applying stress to the linear conductor pattern by heat treatment after the step 3 so that one side thereof faces upward. The method of claim 7, wherein The third step is And filling an etched portion of the positive layer pattern and the first insulating layer pattern with a second insulating material through a second insulating layer pattern. An emitter electrode formed on the lower substrate, A first insulating layer formed on the emitter electrode, A linear emitter extending from one end of the first insulating layer, A second insulating layer formed on the lower substrate to capture the first insulating layer and the linear emitter; A gate electrode disposed to face one side of the linear emitter; A third insulating layer formed between the lower substrate and the gate electrode; An upper substrate spaced apart from the lower substrate so as to provide an internal space; An anode electrode disposed on the bottom surface of the upper substrate; And a phosphor formed to apply the anode electrode. The method of claim 14, And the inner space maintains a vacuum state. The method of claim 14, And one side of the linear conductor pattern is bent upward. The method of claim 14, When a random voltage is applied between the emitter electrode and the gate electrode, electrons are emitted from the emitter electrode to one side of the linear emitter by an electron breakdown phenomenon, and the emitted electrons are located at the other end of the linear emitter. And a second emission layer, the field emission display device emitting into the internal space. The method of claim 17, The amount of electrons emitted from the emitter electrode And controlling the thickness of the first insulating layer. The method of claim 14, And a thickness of the second insulating layer applying one end portion of the linear conductor pattern is relatively thin.